Week 7 Preview: Jets Vs Dolphins

What a fantastic game last week. Miami couldn’t have played a better second half than that. The offense finished drives with points and the defense kept Atlanta’s offense from scoring a single point. This Sunday the Dolphins host the Jets and we all know the beatdown New York handed them a few weeks ago. Miami’s offense may have showed some positive signs against the Falcons, but they’ll have to do more to defeat these physical division rivals. Let’s go over what both sides of this team need to do in order to come away with another victory.

Offense:

This offense seems to be only as good as the amount of rushing yards Jay Ajayi can accrue. This team is undefeated when Ajayi rushes over 100 yards. For this reason, you might be thinking that this offense should come out run heavy against the Jets. I say this mindset will cost us the game. This physical Jet’s defense held Ajayi to just 16 yards in the first game. I’ don’t see it being any easier for Ajayi and company just because they made a turnaround against the Falcons.

I know that WR DeVante Parker is doubtful for this game, but Miami will still need to rely on their sporadic passing game to put together a full efficient game for once and help lead this team to victory. I know the saying is, “Use the run game to open the pass game.” But I say use the pass to open the run. I expect the Jet’s defense to continually stack the box and force Adam Gase to put his trust in Cutler’s ability to throw deep.

The offensive line will play a big part in this game plan as well. We saw that they were able to give Cutler time against the Falcons, but will they be able to repeat against New York? That’s a question I believe we’ll have to wait until game time to be answered.

Defense:

There’s nothing different this defense has to change against the Jets. I expect this defense to smother the run game and pressure McCown in the pass game. In their first meet-up, McCown was able to have some success in the pass game by hitting receivers over the middle, but with the return of Lawrence Timmons and surprise start of Cordrea Tankersley, this pass defense is a new animal.

The defensive line should have a fabulous game against this offense. This front-seven should be forcing a lot of third and longs. This in turn, will give more opportunities for Cameron Wake and Charles Harris to rush the quarterback without having to consider the run. If the Jets are able to put up anything more than a few field goals, I would be surprised and disappointed in what I believe to be a solid Dolphins defense.

Conclusion:

The defense will do their job, but I am still skeptical of this offense. I said in one of my previous previews that I would no longer pick Miami to win until this offense played an efficient game for all four quarters. As much as I enjoyed watching last week’s comeback, that offense was still woeful in the first half. I truly believe we can win, but this seems like a game where the Fins can also disappoint.